


Pathetic Fallacy

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrienette April, Canon Compliant, Canon Dialogue, Character Analysis, F/M, I had to write this, literary devices give me life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 00:05:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6632527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Pathetic Fallacy is a literary device wherein the author attributes human emotions and traits to nature or inanimate objects. For example, the following descriptions refer to weather and how it affects the mood, which can add atmosphere to a story: smiling skies, somber clouds, angry storm, or bitter winter."</i>
</p>
<p>As applied to a certain famous Umbrella Scene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pathetic Fallacy

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know. 
> 
>   _"Why haven't you updated your American AU??"_
> 
>  Time constraints, I had Finales.
> 
> _"Are you done?? If you have Finales how did you find time for this?"_
> 
> I have one more and I didn't find time, I wrote this at 6am.
> 
> _"Have you abandoned it??"_
> 
> No. Donut worry.
> 
> Until then, I am trash with a perfect grade in all aspects of Analysing Fiction and Non-Fiction.

For those who believe London is always rainy and in Paris the sky is cloudless.

Adrien Agreste is here to inform you, quite politely, that you are mistaken.

He had thanked the lucky stars that he had the foresight to bring an umbrella. His father's rocky acceptance of his new situation was not to be pushed further than his patience. A son with wet hair before a crucial photo shoot was a nuisence and a bother. Best not to chance Gabriel flippantly retracting his previous remissions when angered. Adrien was in no hurry to return to his old existence, he had not even properly made a friend yet. He felt though, that with time, he could quite possibly. 

A clap of thunder rolled across the blanket of grey blotting out the blue. It was one of those few times Adrien really understood that sound traveled in waves. The way the thunder washed along the sky like the tide to a shore. The lightning lit the sky and he smiled to match it's shine. Unlike most in this universe, he was not opposed to the gloom of rainy days.

When you have spent too much of your life pretending, it can be a relief to have a day when false smiles are not required. No one expects you to be happy on rainy days. 

 Consequently, it was easier for more genuine expressions to occur. Why was it so much easier to smile, to be truly happy, when you weren't forced to be? Why was it easier to hope for things to be better when you didn't have to pretend it already was? 

Was it rebellion or exhaustion? Rebellion from doing as they made him or exhaustion from doing it for so long? Putting on a mask everyday was the most draining thing he did in his life, and no he wasn't referring to the mask he wore as Chat.

Perhaps that's why he liked rainy days so much, people were allowed to be more emotional on them. It matched the mood of the day, the atmosphere and weather. If the weather could cover it's glittering smile of a sunny day. If it could grumble in discontent and flash in anger. If it could cry with the tears of centuries of sorrows, as old as the sky and earth themselves. Then the human spectrum of emotions was not limited on such a day either. 

He felt it ironic that rainy days made him feel as he felt every day he was Chat. That putting on a literal mask allowed him to take off his metaphorical one. Even so, he knew there were some aspects of Adrien's genuine form that would never be seen as Chat, though they were rarely seen as Adrien either. Just as there was a hefty amount of traits belonging to Chat that Adrien Agreste could never allow to be. It dampened his mood in a way, as the prospect of making friends meant doing so through your personality. Of everything he knew, he had seen and read. He knew people would strike up friendships with you because of who you were as a person. This also meant however that anyone he did become friends with simply as Adrien, would not know him as a whole person, only the side he showed. Only the mask he wore. If they knew all sides, would they still want to be his friend? This was all in the hypothetical of course, since the only people he had in his acquaintance (besides Chloe, but he was slowly realizing having Chloe in your acquantice was not the pre-conceived reputation had been looking for) were Nino and that girl,  Marinette, who no doubt despised him.  Nino seemed willing to give him a chance, but his self doubt asked him if he would be just as willing if Adrien was to let his mask fall. Chat Noir would probably be welcomed by Nino as well, but would he still be willing to put up with the person who was both sides? Would anyone really? 

His thoughts hung heavy like the grey clouds outside the door as he had realized he had paused before making his way out to ponder these things.

Looking from his umbrella in his hand, to the person waiting for a break in downpour. 

_Marinette._

Is that where these thoughts had started, this full range of inner quandries? Ever since he'd reevaluated most of what he had been so sure of upon coming to school? 

He had thought it would be easier, the hard part would be getting his father to allow him to come. Yet, it seemed it was much harder than that. Chloe's more unpleasant nature that he had only seen in recent years, and not often due to subconsciously finding ways to avoid her, he realized later. It ran rampant when she was around others, making itself known like a formidable whirlwind, destroying all in it's path. Or worse, picking up the broken shards of destruction and flinging them again at speeds too fast to stop. Causing further injury, as she had done with Ivan's akuma.

And when she went against Marinette it was far worse. Like the sickly green of the sky before the tornado struck. An envious green. It didn't take a genius to guess why Chloe picked on Marinette more than the rest. As she had shown today, she clearly held the confidence that Chloe (as Adrien knew from their many years shared) greatly lacked. He knew he was not the only one in class who wore a mask to hide what was missing. 

He could not explain such a thing to Marinette, since it involved things Chloe herself needed to say. He could only encourage her to be kinder, to let go. But, he still needed to set things straight himself.

Yes, it was not as easy as he had hoped. Though perhaps if he could set things right, it would be easier.

_"Rain can wash away the stains of old wounds, Mon Minou. Wash away, clean and fresh and make things grow anew. Rain means new beginnings and new life."_

Could rain wash off a mask?

He stepped out onto the steps, and said to Hell with wet hair.

Fate had given him a second chance, he would not waste it.

* * *

Rain was not her friend.

Rain meant slick puddles, that she always fell in. Rain meant canceled plans, that always brought disappointment. Rain meant sudden thunderstorms, that she never had an umbrella to combat.

Rain meant the bakery was extra busy, because people always wanted comfort foods on gloomy days. She didn't blame her parents for getting too caught up in the rush to be able to pick her up from school. They weren't to know that she had forgotten her umbrella, _again._ Or that her new pal Alya's car had no room for extra passengers with her numerous siblings crammed in, despite Alya and her mother apologizing profusely they could not offer her a ride home. It meant she had lied and said she was fine and loved to walk in the rain.

It meant she was left alone on the steps with someone she had deemed unpleasant. 

The thunder rumbled above her like a grumpy old man. She couldn't help but relate to it's annoyance. 

"Hey." He tried.

She found herself focusing on a puddle forming decidedly turned away from where he stood. The water trickled at a steady pace, tapping on her brain lightly like knocks at a door. A little voice saying _"_ _Now wait Mari, give him a little chance."_

She pretended not to notice his downcast gaze. Everyone was glum when it rained. His drooping shoulders as he made his way down one step. Clutching his umbrella with a hand that almost slightly trembled. She recognized that since her own hands did so sometimes when she sewed. Only when she was very nervous about how the project would turn out. 

"I just wanted you to know that," He began again. 

Alright, well it was impolite not to turn around if he was going to continue.

"I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat. I **_swear._** " The last bit was said with surprising seriousness.

She felt her eyes grow wide at the unexpectedness of his confession. The rain falling faster and drowing out thought.

"I've never been to school before," he admitted "I've never had friends. It's all sort of... new to me."

Then he turned suddenly and held out his umbrella to her. Maybe the rain was not the only thing beating fastly against pavement in her ears.

As she reached to take it from his hand, she felt a surge of electricity as the lightning shot across the sky. 

A rumble of thunder sounded somewhere in the noise of the silence. It wasn't annoyed anymore, it was confused, it was thoughtful. 

Then her luck caught up with her as the umbrella fell shut round her head.

He was _laughing._ But she wasn't angry. She couldn't even feel upset, or mildly mortified. She felt numb, she felt that the sun should burst through the storm. She felt like perhaps it was possible to feel warmth even when you had been chilled to the bone. Even when there was no clearly defined heat source. She peeked out from under the black fabric as he smiled. There was no malice. It was pure and total joy, on a day when it had always seemed joy could not be in the same place where rain fell. And she couldn't help but feel the infectious nature of it spread through her as she laughed too.

 

How could a day without sun be so bright?

**Author's Note:**

> The rain quote Adrien recalls is from his mother obviously. Before you ask.


End file.
